The most helpful favorable review

The most helpful critical review

233 of 238 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 starsPerfect for my Windows 7 laptop! Plug-&-play, works great!
I bought this controller because I needed something that was truely plug and play. It works flawlessly on my Windows 7 Professional 64 bit laptop. I chose the "For Windows" version of the XBOX 360 controller simply because I didn't want to take a chance with other controllers not being recognized or working incorrectly. I don't have an XBOX 360 and wanted this...

I bought this controller because I needed something that was truely plug and play. It works flawlessly on my Windows 7 Professional 64 bit laptop. I chose the "For Windows" version of the XBOX 360 controller simply because I didn't want to take a chance with other controllers not being recognized or working incorrectly. I don't have an XBOX 360 and wanted this specifically for my Windows computer. It is a perfect match! This controller is recognized immediately by Windows which installs the drivers automatically. If you want you can also go to the Microsoft website and download the latest software/drivers too.

The controller itself works as described with no problems whatsoever. I am using this controller along with another XBOX 360 controller to play multiplayer games on a Nintendo 64 emulator (Project 64) on my PC. Assigning the buttons is easy, but the rumble does not work without installing a plugin (not the controllers fault, just letting you know). I don't mind not having rumble at the moment as it does not affect game play and will install the necessary rumble plugin some day. This controller also works with many other PC games.

I highly recommend a Microsoft controller over a third-party controller! The quality is worth the money. I also recommend going with this USB wired controller over a wireless version so you don't have to bother with batteries or charging. Its simply plug and play and I can't really ask for more than that. Great controller for Windows computers, buy this one!

When my Xbox 360 RROD'd (way past warranty), I decided not to drop $250 on another one. I don't play a ton of games, and can find what I want for the pc. I was already signed up on Steam, and at first I tried a gamepad made by a company that makes the heavy-duty gamer controls, but that wouldn't even work! Thanks to Amazon, I was able to return it, even refunded return shipping. I bought this unit, popped in the setup disc, drivers loaded, plugged it in and it worked on every game that supports gamepads. Plus, having played Xbox for a couple of years, it was completely comfortable. Well worth the money.

I've went through a number of gamepads over the years, dating back to when they connected to the PC via an analogue gameport. I've had pads from the likes of Thrustmaster, Saitek and a few others, most recently using a PS2 controller via a USB Adapter, which was far from ideal.

Over time, the layout of the Xbox 360 controller has become something of a standard for PC games that use a joypad. Many games already include mappings for the controller, and Steam's big picture mode more or less assumes that you're using one. I was looking for a new controller, so with all this in mind I decided to go for the wireless version of the gamepad for windows.

The last time I used an Xbox controller was on the original Xbox with one of the original humongous controllers. I don't have the smallest hands in the world, but that thing made them ache after an hour or so. Not so here; the controller is a nice size, the analogue sticks are positioned well in range of my thumbs, and the overall balance of the gamepad feels good. It also doesn't resort to any of that nasty grippy rubber paint that was all the rage not that long ago. That stuff doesn't last in a tropical climate, tuning into a sticky, messy goop that then has to be removed.

As others have mentioned, the Windows version of the pad uses AA batteries. Myself, I see this as a bonus. Instead of relying on a LiPo pack that may or may not survive more than a year's worth of use (I've heard really bad things about the kit that adds a Lithium battery to the controller) NiMh rechargeable AA's tend to be quite robust, and they're dirt cheap. If they were ever to die, replacements these days are about $1.50 apiece. Ever since low self-discharge cells became the norm, having them go flat by themselves is no longer an issue. Thank you Sanyo for your Eneloops and Amazon for your Amazon Basics AA's; I have a pile of both types at home.

The integration of the gamepad into Steam's big picture interface is impressive. Having it mapped to the Xbox 360 controller layout was a smart move on Valve's part as they were able to concentrate on the on-screen prompts being consistent, etc. It makes me wonder how SteamOS will be once it launches.

Software-wise, the gamepad ships with next to nothing. A driver CD is supplied, which installs drivers and little else. This is the source of the controller's greatest failing; unless you're playing a Games for Windows Live game (hereby referred to as GfWL), there is no way supplied to turn the controller off once you're done. It supposedly turns itself off after a short period of inactivity, but I've heard that can be unreliable (I'm testing this at the moment, and it's yet to turn itself off since I started writing this review). Many resort to disconnecting the batteries once they're done to turn the controller off, which is a workable (if clunky) solution.

If this were what we were stuck with, I'd have docked a star, perhaps 2 for this alone. It doesn't detract from the gamepad while in use, but it's an annoyance that seems doubly odd given a mechanism exists to explicitly turn the gamepad off from software, but that software isn't provided with the gamepad to cover all eventualities. Only the abomination that is GfWL gets that level of control.

Thankfully, the community at large had a bit of a poke about, and the "Xbox360 Controller Manager" was born. This is a little tool that sits quietly in your system tray and responds to a long press of the guide button (the silver button in the middle) with a prompt to turn that controller off. The tool itself takes single-digits of MB of memory, which is background noise in this day and age.

For those of you that haven't already discovered this essential little piece of software, you can get it here:

http://pety.me/XboxExt/

Save it wherever, add a shortcut in your "Startup" start menu folder, and then forget about it. Using it will become second nature, and you'll forget that it's a 3rd-party application. Honestly, this utility removes the one problem I had with the gamepad, and does it so effectively that I can't help but wonder why Microsoft didn't ship it with something similar.

Overall, I highly recommend this. The biggest niggle I had with it was solved by its users, and if you're looking for a wireless controller for Windows, there really isn't any reason not to get one.

P.S. I'm done with this review, and the controller still hasn't turned itself off. Thankfully, there's an app for that...

The controller is the standard XBOX 360 wireless controller. The box contains a wireless controller hub. Supposedly, up to four controllers can be connected to a PC through this hub (though I presume not many games will let you use this feature). I have not tested connectivity for more than one controller at a time.There are no apparent problems with this, on this Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium install. Plugged the hub into a USB port in the back, pressed the center button on the controller, and ready to go. Works great in Grand Theft Auto 4 (driving much much easier this way).Can't wait to use this for DiRT3, yeah

The software is nothing special. In fact, beyond the standard joystick control panel, there is nothing else. You can test the functionality of the buttons, D-pad, analog sticks etc. And that's it. Would be cool if the software would allow programming of the buttons, or let you assign macros to the buttons like Intellitype for instance. Logitech does a much better job!But I will not complain... the hardware is top notch and works great... and wirelessly.

It is very comfortable to hold.All the buttons are right where you need them, and they have a good feel when pressed.The two thumb joysticks are very precise.The cord is really long (9 feet).It feels very solid and well built.

If you are looking for a gamepad for your PC, definitely consider this one.I'm very happy with my purchase, and look forward to using it with many games.I'm running Windows XP Home Edition SP3.For the link to download the drivers, view the first comment to this review.Enjoy!

Comparing this to a cheap USB controller and there is no comparison- the Xbox controller wins across the board! It is a quality controller. HOWEVER it is missing a key feature IMO that would be easy for Microsoft to implement, especially since they want you to install their special software before using the game pad.

Issue) The two back "trigger" buttons on top cannot be used in older/non-Microsoft-certified games. The system doesn't consider them "buttons" but a "Z" axis. Unfortunately that means there are 2 useless buttons in prime locations I can't use on my older games. Microsoft should offer a software option to make these buttons work like normal buttons on the game pad. There is other software out there by 3rd parties that can do this but it is not free and frankly I trust 3rd party software less and less these days.

No problems with this wired controller! I bought it for my computer and works as expected. I also tested the controller in a Xbox 360 and it worked well too! No problems installing drivers either! (Windows Update took care of that)

I own four xbox controllers, three wireless and now this perfection. Main draw to it was the fact it is wired to save on batteries. The wire isn't huge but long enough to go from my xbox to the couch with left over slack, it's just right. Not only that, it's solid black rather than the white and $10 cheaper than the only labelled xbox wired controller. Why? I have no idea! I have seen this happen everywhere and there is no difference except packaging.

Most know the design of the xbox controller and this hasn't changed from the original. It's still sleek and lightweight (even lighter without the batteries/battery pack) and has flawless mechanics. Two 360 degree analog sticks, numpad, 4 buttons with left and right bumpers/triggers, back/start button and the standard xbox dashboard button. The feel is very natural, it fits in your hands perfectly and the button lay outs are exactly where you'd want them. Unlike the PS3 controller the triggers are sturdy and responsive and the movement analog stick is above the right rather than side by side as well (two qualities I don't like with the ps3 controller). I've tried a few other PC controllers but none quite match the design/structure of the xboxs. The actual in-game response is more accurate than other controllers I've tried. Some non-Microsoft controllers are cheaper but after a while of use you'll notice that it won't react as accurate to your movements as you'd expect. May not be noticeable or a issue to all, but something to watch for.

Just to be clear this controller works for both PC and xbox console, I've used on both and its perfect. Battlefield 3 will pick it up without any key binding set-up at all as well. They are also pretty durable, I have two white wireless controllers from years back since my original xbox purchase and still running like troopers. Hard to go wrong for only $30. Also your chatpads, microphones etc will all work with this as they normally - tested this as well. Controller comes with a support disc to install a driver for your controller on PC - not 100% if this is necessary because I installed first without testing. It's a under 2 minute installation.

PROS:

- Works for both PC/xbox and controller accessories- Wired (good length), lightweight and sleek black- Responsive, comfortable and Microsoft made- Cheaper than other Microsoft controllers including the wired controller labelled for xbox 360- Comes with support disc

If you want a wireless controller to use for your PC games, then this is a definite must have. I snagged one for use with "Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" and it works great. Being that the game is already set up for use with the controller, it was immediately identified and all buttons linked to what they are meant to do. Only takes a few minutes to get the hang of the new set-up (find a quiet area away from people in the game to practice), but the controller is way better than using the keyboard and mouse. Even though the majority of the keyboard does not work when using the controller, gladly you can still use the tilde (~) key for acessing the command console and the "PrtScn" button is active for taking snapshots. The only minor negative note I have concerns not be able to fully use the keyboard when the controller is plugged in. It should work in conjunction with the keyboard instead of completely blocking most of its use. As for the unit itself, it is very comfortable to hold and use. All of the buttons are placed perfectly. Once you know which one does what, moving and fighting in the game is a snap. There are some extra plug-in ports on the controller that are not identified as to their use in the simple fold-out instruction manuel. One on the top below the word "XBOX 360" and another on the bottom between the hand holds that has three holes. Would be nice to know what these are for, but the instructions have nothing on them. All in all, this controller is well worth the price and works perfectly for PC games, especially newer titles.